Causes: Community & Neighborhood Development, Crime & Law, Economic Development, Legal Services, Nonprofit Management

Mission: Community Law Center, a nonprofit law firm, provides legal services to community and nonprofit organizations throughout Maryland to promote stronger nonprofits and more vibrant neighborhoods.

Results: Since our founding over 30 years ago, Community Law Center has provided countless hours of free legal services to organizations working to make positive change. Community Law Center has a constant influx of clients. We receive dozens of inquiries each week. With three staff attorneys and over 500 volunteer attorneys, Community Law Center provides representation to neighborhoods and nonprofits for all of their legal needs that touch every aspect of needed services on our communities.

Target demographics: Community Law Center serves nonprofit organizations and neighborhood and community groups. CLC represents only organizational clients in Maryland.

Geographic areas served: State of Maryland

Programs: The mission of Community Law Center is to provide legal services to community and nonprofit organizations throughout Maryland to promote stronger nonprofits and more vibrant neighborhoods. No other organization provides the services we offer. Contributions to Community Law Center spread wide across the nonprofit landscape and go deep into the grassroots of our communities as we assist with the most basic and fundamental operations as well as the most complicated projects and initiatives. Each year, staff and volunteer attorneys through Community Law Center deliver over 10,000 billable hours of free legal services valued at over $2,000,000.In addition to direct legal services for nonprofits of all types, our work has a special focus on low-income neighborhoods in Baltimore City. We help to build the social and economic strength of low-income communities that lack the financial resources to pay for private legal representation. Our attorneys teach people to come together to take charge of their neighborhoods, stand up for what they need, and work together to accomplish their goals. The lawyers at Community Law Center take communities as their clients to serve their legal needs, but also to foster the growth of their voice as a community. Community Law Center was founded in 1986 by a group of lawyers and community organizers who saw the need for residents in Baltimore City to band together and advocate effectively for their neighborhoods. Community Law Center is Maryland’s only legal services organization dedicated solely to strengthening neighborhoods and the nonprofit sector. We seek partnerships with nonprofits, businesses, law enforcement, educators, social workers, and governmental agencies to realize each client’s strategic goals. In addition to direct legal representation, Community Law Center develops self-help publications, workshops, and training programs for our pro bono attorneys, clients, and community leaders. Community Law Center is also an advocate for giving Baltimore’s low-income neighborhoods a voice in many policy and regulatory, and administrative decision-making forums.